FR Readers, we have spent a lot of time talking about the need to reform the pork-barrel mentality of Congress, which has infested elected Members of Congress from both sides of the aisle. United States Senator Jim DeMint has been on of the leaders in this battle — and he has asked bloggers around the country to help him to rich his goal of having 100,000 people sign his online petition to send a message to his colleagues — it’s time to end the madness! So, if you have a moment and agree with us here at the FR that egregious earmarks are immoral and wrong, then take a moment to watch the video below (it’s short) and sign the petition now! _____________________________________ … Read More

I just got a ‘heads up’ from Ryan Sherman who handles PR for the California Correctional Peace Officers Association — one of the biggest, most influential ($$$) public employee unions in California.

In what I would call a definate gun to the temple of big political head of Fabian Nunez, this major player in state politics just announced their official opposition to the Speaker’s term-limits extension ballot measure.

This represents yet another big plus for the opposition efforts to the "Big Lie Initiative" following the announcment last week that Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner had written a $1.5 million check to aid in opposition efforts, and that was combined with a matching contribution of another $1.5 million from the U.S. Term Limits Committee.

Before any major efforts have been launched to expose the Nunez measure as a sham for self-serving politicians like Nunez, just the "word" getting around has caused the measure to plummet 10 points in the latest statewide poll, with now less than 50% of likely voters are supportive of the measure.

Ironically, most of the support currently for 93 comes from… Read More

What if you had a reoccuring nightmare, that while you were sleeping, thousands of dead bodies were rising out of their graves to come and take…your home! Sound scary? Well it is actually happenning to the owners of homes in posh Sarataga, a suburb of San Jose. In what may prove to be a "poster-child" case for eminent domain reform on next June’s ballot, the Saratoga Cemetary District has officially left their options "open" to pursue the use of eminent domain as they seek to force the owner of a home to sell their house, which abuts the Madrona Cemetary. The "urgent need" — apparently the Saratoga Cemetary District wants to expand the roadway around the graveyard. According to the San Jose Mercury News, Nikki Teeter answered a knock on her door to find a real estate agent there, representing the District, telling her that they want to buy her home. Apparently, despite protests that the Teeters have no interest in selling their home of 29 years, the realtor kept trying to set up meetings. Apparently this Cemetary District is… Read More

Our friends at the Consumer Alliance for a Strong Economy have launched a radio advertising campaign against the ill-advised health care scheme being advanced by the Governor and Legislative Democrats. You can click on the ads below to hear them. CASE, you’ll recall, made a splash when they introduced the Dancing Duck television spot in January.… Read More

Tom McCintock, one of the few Sacramento pols who has been accurate in truly predicting the financial shortfall that is facing California, says this is just the beginning:

The newspapers are reporting that the fiscal gap is $10 billion. It is actually far more serious than that. The actual figure – according to the LAO – is that the state will spend $14 billion more than it takes in between now and the end of the next fiscal year. The difference is that we will first blow through the $4 billion reserve that the state began the year with. (That reserve, by the way, is already gone.)

But the LAO is still predicting that the state’s general fund revenues will grow about 3.5… Read More

Aninitiative to end the practice of governments accepting and spending non–reported dollars for political activity was launched at a press conference in Sacramento today. Proponentsare Jon Coupal of Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Assn., Jim Nielsen, Chairman of the California Alliance to Protect Prvivate Property Rights and former state senator, and Lew Uhler of National Tax Limitation Committee.

Under the present scheme, the League of California Cities and other entities can utilize so called "non-public funds" to weigh in politically on issues like, say, defeating efforts of protecting your property rights from abusive eminent domain takings. $7 million has been raised without accountability to fight Prop 90 previously and now towards the true eminent domain reform initiativecirculating thru Farm Bureau, Howard Jarvis and the CA Alliance to Protect Private Property. [They also have their own clever initiative that they are pushing and funding to make it look like they are reforming EmDo but has such weak and narrow… Read More

Tim Morgan Receives "No Endorsement" from CRA From the Shawn Steel for RNC National Committeeman campaign:

(Sacramento) – On Sunday, the California Republican Assembly refused to endorse incumbent Tim Morgan in his quest for re-election as National Committeeman. This is a serious embarrassment to his re-election prospects.

With his opponent Shawn Steel already locking up overwhelming majorities amongst Assembly Republicans, Senate Republicans and Central Committee Chairs, the CRA Endorsement quest was a last ditch effort for Morgan to infuse some momentum into his campaign.

"The California Republican Assembly has long been a supporter of Morgan, who has been a long time incumbent," said Steel spokesman Mike Richman. "This weekend, Morgan spent time lobbying delegates and former supporters, but it was obviously too little too late. His failure at CRA continues his horrid re-election campaign effort."

Earlier in the year, Morgan suffered a humiliating defeat when the Young Republican Federation of California endorsed Shawn Steel over Tim Morgan. On the heels of that defeat, Morgan felt the need… Read More

Steve Baric’scampaign for CRP Secretary sent out a Campaign Update earlier today.

I have to admit, I knew Steve’s campaign was going well, but even as a friend of his, I’d lost track of just how well.

Really at this point it’d be easier to list who HASN’T yet signed up to support Steve, than who to lay out the lengthy list of who HAS.

Left, Right, Center.

North, Central, South.

Constitutional Officers, Legislators, County Party Leaders, Grassroots Leaders, CRP Board Members.

In other words, just about everyone.

Steve’s campaign isdoing a great jobcircling the wagons andmyhunch is that they’ll continue to do soall the way to February.

For what it’s worth, Steve’s Update is below. Dear Fellow California Republican,

My campaign to be the next Secretary of the California Republican Party continues to garner support throughout the state. In the past month, I have received the support of… Read More